Spotted at the Brocante

When exploring new brocantes (flea markets) you never know what you’ll find. And that makes it part of the fun! Everywhere you turn there is an astounding array of items, from tiny to large, mostly old but you have to keep a watchful eye to spot the youngsters, otherwise known as imposters (new items pretending to be “old”).

The doors or the gates open and the crowd is on the move. It’s easy to spot the professionals from the browsers, the dealers have their tags in hand to mark their items. It’s a finely tuned system so the transporters know what to pick up when they make the rounds and load up before heading back to their big trucks.

You learn a lesson the hard way when you first spot something you like, only to think the price is too high, and then while you were continuing to browse someone else comes along behind you and snatches it up. You quickly get schooled in the art of the deal, also known as “you snooze, you lose.”

The treasure hunt is on, sometimes you have to wait on the dealers to unload their wares from their trucks because they have strict rules about what time they can actually start to sell. Oh la la. You never know what you might see in the back of a truck.

So many treasures, so little time. But not to worry. There will be another brocante next Saturday, or next Sunday, or next month!

All photos are from a large market in Beziers, France. First visit to this one for me, and it won’t be my last!

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About Us

Chez Suzette is about my passion for sharing my love for home, travel and treasures with family and friends. Topics include food, wine, decor, flea markets and brocantes both in the U.S. and France, particularly in Provence.

Come with me as I go in search of treasures and chronicle the happenings along the way. All with a French influence and definitely with lots of fun thrown in.